Steps

Sample Emails

Writing Your Own Email

1

Address the employer formally. Avoid being casual when referring to the employer that is offering the internship. Begin the letter with "Dear Dr./Mr./Ms./Mrs. Smith" depending on the contact person's name, title, and gender.

You should address the email to a specific person whenever possible. However, if you don't know the specific person that is reviewing internship emails, you can type something like “Dear Sir or Madam.”

Ad

2

Introduce yourself with a few pertinent details. Get this in now before the person reading moves on to something else; employment requests are usually skimmed rather quickly.

3

Bring up a mutual contact if possible. You won’t always have a mutual friend you can mention in the letter, but if it’s a position you want badly, it might be worth finding one. This doesn’t have to take oodles of your time. Assuming you’re a college student, you should start by reading over your professors’ / TAs’ resumes and CVs, which are almost always available on the school website. If you find someone who has a connection to the company, set up an appointment with them.

When discussing the company with your mutual contact, mention that you’re interested in an internship and ask about the company, work environment, etc., but don’t come across as though you’re simply trying to name-drop.

4

Briefly mention something you admire about the company. The most effective way to do this is to bring up something that you know/suspect the organization prides itself on.

[Name of company] has a reputation for excellence, and your commitment to [budgeting free care for abandoned animals] is near and dear to my heart.

5

Discuss your qualifications and experience – and how they overlap with the company’s goals. The focus of the letter should be about what you can contribute, not what you want to get out of the deal, so make sure this part shines. Talk about your academic qualifications and any previous job experience that relates to the internship you're seeking, but keep it brief or you may lose your reader’s interest.

I would like to offer my services as an intern. I am a top student in [the such-and-such program], have maintained [such-and-such GPA], and have received [a merit scholarship for x semesters / any awards or accolades]. Moreover, my [minor or emphasis is in / thesis project is about] [an area specific to the position or organization]. I am confident that I can be an asset to your team.

6

Mention that you will follow up on the application. Discuss when and how you will contact the employer to follow up on the status of the position.

I am reachable by phone or email, but if you can’t get back to me, I’ll happily [call] you again [next Monday].

7

Close the letter. Include your name, email address and phone number(s).

Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,
[name]
[email]
[phone number]

8

Don’t attach your resume to an unsolicited internship email. Unless the company is actively seeking interns, they may not want to open your attached copy, especially if they have a workplace policy about attachments. Otherwise, attach your email as a PDF (as opposed to a Word document, where the formatting may be lost/altered when opened on a different system).

If you are writing an unsolicited internship email

➜ Don’t attach your resume.Unless the company is actively seeking interns, they may not want to open your attached copy, especially if they have a workplace policy about attachments.

Don’t attach your resume

Some employers may specify that they don't open email attachments. If so, both your cover letter and resume will have to be included in the body of the email. Make sure to space them apart to make it easier for the employer to distinguish each document.

9

Send the letter from a professional-sounding email address. Using an address that is simply a variation on your name may be best for sending internship cover letters. Avoid nicknames, inside jokes, overly-complicated addresses, or anything that looks spammy.

If your current email address is connected with a social media profile that contains any unprofessional content, create and use a different address. While you’re at it, adjust the settings of your profile so that it’s more private.

10

Follow up as promised. If you haven’t already heard back from the organization, email them again – or, preferably, call them.

Hi, my name is [name] and I’m following up on a note I sent you last week about interning [this fall]. I hope to have the opportunity to further discuss the position [and will happily forward you my resume if necessary]. Thank you.

Ad

We could really use your help!

Can you tell us about

Manicures and Pedicures?

Yes

No

Can you tell us about

Relationships?

Yes

No

Can you tell us about

home construction?

Yes

No

Can you tell us about

Menstrual Cycles?

Yes

No

Thanks for helping! Please tell us everything you know about

...

Tell us everything you know here. Remember, more detail is better.

Tips

Provide details.

Please be as detailed as possible in your explanation. We will take your detailed information, edit it for clarity and accuracy, and incorporate it into an article that will help thousands of people.Don't say: Eat more fats.Do say: Add fats with some nutritional value to the foods you already eat. Try olive oil, butter, avocado, and mayonnaise.

Tips

Be specific with your subject line. You don’t want your email to get buried in a high-volume inbox. (If applicable, use the specific subject line requested by the employer.)

Internship Position with [company name] – [your name]

Research the employer you're trying to intern with. Use the information to round out your email cover letter and show how you can benefit the company. A prospective employer who sees you've invested time in getting to know the company may be more willing to hire you.

Attaching a cover letter can provide a sense of formality between you and the employer, as email messages tend to be a casual means of communication. If you attach your cover letter, your email message should be brief but respectful, addressing the employer, mentioning who you are, what you're applying for, and that your resume and cover letter are attached. Sign the message and provide your contact information.

Don’t make it look like a form email. Customize every email you send so that the company knows you aren’t taking a scattershot approach to your internship search.

Share

Featured Articles

Meet a Community Member

Meet Teresa, a Featured Author, New Article Booster, and Admin who has been active on wikiHow for over 7 years. In her years here, she has started an amazing 1441 articles and boosted over 136,000 articles, proofreading and formatting them to help get them in great shape. She’s proud of her boosting skills and records, which have made a huge impact on the quality of advice on wikiHow. She’s also started many helpful titles, like How to Use Twitter and articles on a variety of graphic software programs. Teresa is a lifetime learner and believes that we can never learn enough. She says she can’t imagine not writing and editing on wikiHow, and she loves the friendships she’s developed in the community. Her advice to new editors is to start out making small edits and changes, and you will find yourself hooked!